Supergirl - Light in the Dark
by Kung-fu Blaziken
Summary: The further adventures of the vampiric Girl of Steel! Vignette-collection sequel to Blood Ties.
1. Aegis

_I don't own Supergirl. DC Comics owns the character, and the TV series is owned by Warner Bros and the CW. Superman and related works were created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster._

 _Go away lawyers._

 _Everyone else, welcome back!_

 _So like I said in the end Author's Notes of Blood Ties, I had various plans for a continuation, less ongoing story and more short vignettes. Some quick housekeeping before we begin._

1: _THIS STORY HAS NO SET UPDATE SCHEDULE! The chapters are posted when they're posted, and I have them when I have them. This project doesn't have the same priority as, say, Key and Wraith (a Kingdom Hearts story I've been pecking at for a long time and am finally knuckling down on), so I'm not dedicating as much time to it. Don't go asking about it, posted reviews that are simply whines for me to hurry up will be fed to Tempest the Gyarados._

2: _Flames will also be fed to Tempest. Let's exercise some civility. Constructive criticism is okay, insults are not._

3: _This has no planned overarching story. Maybe I'll have one or two multi-part episodes, or callbacks, but this is not the same kind of story as Blood Ties. Also, don't expect too many retellings of Season 3 like Blood Ties was with 2. I've already laid out my reasonings at the end of Blood Ties, but to sum it up, there are elements in my story that are different from canon or would otherwise cause other differences, such as Mon-el's absence kneecapping any Legion plotlines. I DO have something in mind for Reign, but that's for later._

 _Now that all that is out of the way, this particular piece. I wanted to expand a few details for Supergirl's new suit that I didn't get to before. Design wise, I wanted to make a few changes to reflect her embracing her vampire side more, hence the addition of black into the color scheme. The cape is something I picked up while reading Peter David's Supergirl stories. There were two costumes that were worn during that run, but the first is what I want to discuss. Often times, her cape is drawn with a lot of volume, so it looks like it's shrouding her some. Google some images or look up the run on Comixology, you can see what I mean. In fact, look up the run anyway, it's amazing. Anyway, the cape often drapes over her shoulders instead of flowing down her back, which is the kind of look I wanted my Kara to have. Sort of evoking the stereotypical vampire cape or cloak, while still being a Supergirl thing._

 _ _Now with that out of the way, let's see it in action!__

* * *

 **Light in the Dark**

Chapter 1

Aegis

The two robbers ran out of the building and toward the car, firing into the air to discourage pursuit. They paused in their fire for a moment to toss the bag of jewels into the backseat.

And then they heard something…

" _Sun is shinin' in the sky,  
There ain't a cloud in sight,  
It's stopped rainin', everybody's in a play…"_

A blur of red came down from the heavens, and Supergirl hit the ground in front of them with a smile.

" _And don't you know?"_ she sang, _"It's a beautiful new day, hey-ey!"_

The robbers cursed and opened fire, but Supergirl caught every bullet. When they ran out of ammo, she let the captured metal fall from her hands. The smile was still on her face, but it was just a bit more smug, and they could see a little fang showing.

And still she sang:

" _Runnin' down the avenue,  
See how the sun shines brightly in the city,  
On the streets where once was pity,  
Mister Blue Sky is living here today, hey-ey!"_

She surged forward, grabbing one gun and bending it in half.

" _Mister Blue Sky please tell us why,  
You had to hide away for so long (so long)?"_

The other gunman wielded his gun like a club, but Supergirl caught it, a slightly disappointed look on her face.

" _Where did we go wrong?"_

A shock of electricity shot down the gun and into the man, sending him down to the ground, twitching.

Supergirl then turned to the other man.

"I give," he said, raising his hands.

Supergirl pointed down, and he got on his knees, his hands behind his head. She then danced in place a bit, singing the next verse.

" _Mister Blue Sky please tell us why,  
You had to hide away for so long (so long)?  
Where did we go wrong?"_

"You know, you're actually pretty good," the robber admitted.

She laughed a bit.

"I've been told," she said, humming a bit.

Just then, a cop car pulled up, the two officers getting out. The older one took a look at the situation and smiled.

"Usual day, Supergirl?" he asked, a smile on his face, "Well, we got it from here."

She smiled back and practically danced back into the air, picking her song back up.

" _Hey you with the pretty face,  
Welcome to the human race!  
A celebration, Mister Blue Sky's up there waitin'  
And today is the day we've waited for!"_

"Well she certainly seems in a good mood," the officer said.

"Maybe she got lucky last night," his younger partner said with a salacious grin.

"You're a pig, Joe."

Up above, Kara suppressed a grin of her own. Joe wasn't _entirely_ far off.

Really though, she was just in a good mood. The new editor at Cat Co had taken her aside and apologized for his predecessor's actions, and swore that she had nothing to fear from him. Her latest article about the buy-out of several Lord Tech facilities had been received well, and she took some glee in the knowledge that Maxwell Lord would look bad. It was game night tonight, which Shanoa had finally agreed to attend. And she got to wake up next to the woman she loved.

Life was good.

" _Mister Blue Sky please tell us why,  
You had to hide away for so long (so long)?  
Where did we go wrong?_

" _Hey there Mister Blue,  
We're so pleased to be with you!  
Look around see what you do,  
Everybody smiles at you!_

" _Hey there Mister Blue,  
We're so pleased to be with you!  
Look around see what you do,  
Everybody smiles at you!"_

 **oOo**

"So what's so important, Alex?" Kara asked as her sister all but dragged her to one of the labs.

"New toy for you," was all Alex would say.

When they got there, Kara saw Winn, Shanoa, and Lena crowded around a dummy. The dummy was wearing something familiar.

"Isn't that my suit?" Kara asked.

"Sort of," Winn said, "The new one I made you has been fine for the past two weeks, but there are all sorts of upgrades I wanted to do, and it's taken awhile to get them ready."

"Upgrades?"

Lena walked over and pulled Kara closer.

"You're going to love it, _mo chroí_ _,"_ Lena said.

Kara observed the suit. It was the same as she'd been wearing since her big return. The top was blue, with the El crest in red on a field of black. A black belt with a red stone in the center split the top from the almost-knee-length skirt and the blue tights beneath it. The boots were the same as her original suit, but the cape had more volume, and was draped about the shoulders like a cloak instead of running solely down her back.

"Okay, so first on the list, I redid the torso area in a different material," Winn said, "It's much more tear resistant. Considering the last suit was broken by a knife, that seemed appropriate. You can't block silver anymore, so there's no sense waiting for a prepared bad guy to try and stab you. I wanted to see if I could weave some Kevlar in there for bullets-"

"But I reminded him that silver makes a terrible bullet," Lena interjected, "Only an idiot would try to use silver bullets, they'd be stupid inaccurate and not very penetrating. And either way, your reaction time is good enough that you'd be able to avoid it."

"Which left your other big weakness," Winn continued, "Granted, it's more and more unlikely these days that you'll run into Kryptonite, but Lena and I got a radiation blocker as small as we could and put it in the belt."

"I used rune engraving to increase the power to compensate for the size," Shanoa said, "Which brings me to my contribution. I wove some runic protections on the interior of the suit, which should help protect you from magic. But more importantly, I set it up so you can do a mist change."

"A what?"

Shanoa turned into mist. The cloud churned a bit before she reformed. When she did, she was wearing her armor.

"Adrian and I both store our combat attire in a special space," Shanoa said, waving a tattooed arm over her body, "It is accessed and donned via our mist form, thus allowing for nigh instantaneous changes. You are skilled enough in your mist form that you will be able to use the same spellcraft, provided some prior set-up."

Kara's jaw dropped. While she could change a super-speed, it was still a hassle wearing parts of her suit under her clothes, and stowing said clothes in a hiding place before she dashed off as Supergirl. And she couldn't count how many shirts she'd lost buttons on thanks to a hurried change.

"Finally, we redid the cape in some Kryptonian fabric. Clark found a special sewing machine in the depths of the Fortress, as well as a 'recipe' in the databanks," Lena said, "He's already replaced his cape with it. The new cape is stronger than the old, just as good at managing your aerodynamics, and Shanoa put a few runes in the edges that'll ensure it won't get in the way."

"It's how I can fight in a dress, slits up the sides be damned," Shanoa added, "I used red thread so it isn't noticeable."

"I wondered about the dress thing," Alex said.

"You guys," Kara laughed, "You didn't have to-"

"None of that," Lena said, "If it helps, we're glad to do it. So, want to test out the quick change?"

Kara grinned.

Then the ladies shoved Winn out of the room. According to Shanoa, the first few times she tried the trick, she ended up naked, and she expected Kara might have a similar accident until she had it down cold.

Kara had sputtered indignantly. Her face turned completely red when Lena blew off any concerns as "nothing I haven't seen before."

"Hey!" Alex had shouted, "That's my sister!"

 **oOo**

It had taken most of the afternoon before Kara had the trick down, and she gleefully demonstrated it during game night.

"No more looking for a place to hide my shirt," she crowed, "Even my glasses mist with me now."

"How'd you manage that?" James asked.

"I used my fingernail to engrave the appropriate runes in the inside of the arms, under Shanoa's direction."

"It's not that hard a runic scheme," Shanoa said, taking a casual sip of her actually-Bloody Mary, "The real trick is not coming out of a mist starkers instead of battle-ready."

"I'd make a comment, but that's my girlfriend's sister," Maggie said, "I don't want to end up on the couch."

"Smart woman," Alex grunted.

Later, after everyone had left, Lena had one more gift for Kara.

"It took some time to find the right one," Lena said, handing Kara a small box.

Inside was a small locket. It was pewter, with a tiny sapphire in the center, a perfect match for Kara's eyes. She pried it open, and inside were small pictures. One was of Kara, and the other of Lena.

"A little piece of our love, to carry with you always," Lena said.

Kara suddenly started to cry.

"Kara? I'm sorry, I—"

"It's not your fault, it's just…"

Kara fished down her shirt, pulling up a small necklace with a blue-green gem.

"My mother gave this to me. And she said something similar when she did. It's…one of the only things I have of Krypton."

Lena gently hugged Kara, mentally kicking herself for hitting the old wound. But Kara assured her that there were no hard feelings.

To emphasize this, she threaded the locket through the same chain as her mother's necklace.

"Now both loves can stay right near my heart."

 **oOo**

Kara was working with another reporter in the bullpen when the television blared a news flash.

Siobhan Smythe, AKA Silver Banshee, had escaped prison was wreaking havoc, screaming about getting revenge.

As the other reporters crowded around the TV, Kara slipped toward the stairwell.

"This looks like a job for Supergirl."

She entered the stairwell and turned to mist, the cloud churning and slipping out the door to the roof, where it reformed into a combat-ready Supergirl. She briefly checked herself over, slightly paranoid, then flew off.

Finding Silver Banshee wasn't hard. She just had to follow the noise. But the sight of her took Supergirl aback a bit. Her hair was longer, and seemed to twist in an unseen breeze. A strange aura flickered around her. Her face was frightfully lean, her eyes and cheeks sunken.

Stretching out with her senses, Supergirl could sense a buzz of powerful magic. Clearly, the supernatural force that had given Siobhan her powers had evolved, increasing in strength.

Thankfully, Kara had studied certain mystical creatures, in case she ever needed to fight them. And she had just the tools to aid her.

"Time to see if these mystic protections work."

She hit the ground, making sure to catch her opponent's attention.

"One chance," she said, "Surrender now."

Silver Banshee simply screamed. Supergirl was in motion the second she saw an inhalation, and was out of the path of the scream before it was halfway to her.

As she flew up and backward, she cast several lightning bolts. The bolts hit Banshee's limbs, but the supernatural menace stood strong.

Supergirl made a circuit around a building, building up speed and hoping to catch Banshee on the side. As she flew, she touched her ears and muttered a spell, temporarily blocking her hearing. Another spell conjured a shadowy shield on her arm.

Supergirl flew at Silver Banshee, shield first. Anticipating her, Banshee screamed. The full force of the scream was blocked by the shield, the rest of the damage that managed to leak through being blocked by her suit's protections and her sound-blocker spell. The scream still had enough force to slow her, but she continued to power through.

Banshee turned up the volume, but Supergirl kept coming. The battle of wills continued until Supergirl finally rammed home, the shield striking Banshee in the face.

A lightning punch was next, and Banshee fell.

Supergirl took a minute to breathe before dispelling the shield and the sound-blocker. As her hearing returned, she heard applause, people who hadn't been able to escape so quickly and had witnessed the fight.

Supergirl smiled. After the fear she had been treated with, it was nice to hear joy again.

 **oOo**

Supergirl helped escort Banshee back to prison, mostly to ask how the escape happened.

The warden helped her look over things, finding the inhibitors that had kept her scream in check had been burned out somehow.

Wondering if her suspicions were correct, Supergirl called Shanoa, who swiftly arrived and examined Silver Banshee.

"You were right to contact me. Her power has indeed evolved. I have seen similar curses before, and they get nastier the longer they remain. Especially bloodline curses."

"Bloodline curses?" Supergirl asked.

"I imagine that the power of the Banshee has been following her family for a long time. It is so deeply rooted that I am unsure if I can extricate it from her without killing her."

"Can you help contain it?"

"That's why I brought the bag."

Shanoa opened up a large bag, revealing a multitude of jars filled with all manner of exotic ingredients. She mixed several into a paste, softly chanting as she did, before painting a series of runes on Banshee's throat and wrists. With a shouted word of power, the runes flared, and then faded, leaving no trace of the paste.

"That's the best sealing work I can do. I'll be surprised if she'll be able to speak above a whisper for a long time."

"How long will this last?" asked the warden, finally speaking up.

"I'll come back to check in a month. I'll have a better idea how it's doing then."

"Thank you for the consultation."

"It is no trouble," Shanoa replied, "In matters of science, like the powers given to Livewire, I am sure that you are competent. However, Siobhan Smythe's abilities have one foot in the supernatural. That is something much harder to prepare for if you have not studied that world."

"Stop freaking the man out, Shanoa, he gets it," Supergirl said.

Supergirl and Shanoa looked on as Smythe was taken back to her cell, then left with the certainty that the job was done.

"I take it the protections worked out?" Shanoa asked.

"Like a charm, pun intended," Supergirl smiled, "You did excellent work."

"I try," Shanoa laughed back.

* * *

 _I had just listened to some Electric Light Orchestra when I wrote the beginning. You can tell, can't you?_

 _See you all next time…whenever that will be…_


	2. Pride

_See first chapter disclaimer._

 _Guess who's pro-LGBT rights?_

* * *

 **Light in the Dark**

Chapter 2

Pride

Kara Danvers had spent a good chunk of her life repressing.

There were more obvious things she repressed, of course, but currently, her thoughts were focused on her own sexuality.

Given that it was June, AKA Pride Month, and she was in a healthy and loving relationship with other woman, such thoughts weren't unexpected.

And thanks to Lena, Kara didn't feel like she had to hide this part of her to conform, as she had done with other pieces of herself in the past. Oh, her bisexuality wasn't a well-known fact around the office (Cat Co, not the DEO), and she didn't go out of her way to proclaim it or anything, but she wasn't playing it close to the chest either.

Case in point, she was doing very little to hide her anger at the current news coming in.

The first of two Pride Parades had been crashed by detractors. Religious fundamentalists, misogynists, and just about every flavor of homophobe under the sun, all coming together to heckle and threaten the gathering. Some of the language used was obscene, and it made Kara quite furious.

She felt someone poke at her arm.

"Danvers, ease up. Your eyes are glowing."

Kara started, then took a calming breath.

"Sorry," she said, "It's just…"

She waved a hand at the TV several reporters had gathered around, the story concerning the actions at the parade.

"This is bothering me. A great deal."

"Given that you looked two seconds away from full vampire scary face, I can see that."

"Oh, right. Isn't you sister gay? I think you mentioned one time," said another of her coworkers.

"It's not just about Alex, actually," Kara began.

Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their editor, Peter Robertson.

"Okay, I see you've seen the top story," he said, "I need volunteers to pound the pavement, get people's opinions. I need someone to go to the police and ask about their response, given how close this came to violence. And in the interest of fairness, I need some people to hit up the local churches, get their opinions on this."

"I'll get the police response!" Kara immediately called.

"That was quick, Danvers," came the response.

"Less chance that I'll run into a homophobe that way. And that's probably for the best."

"She had glowing eyes of doom earlier," another reporter explained.

"I'm just of the opinion that I shouldn't have to apologize for how people feel."

Kara paused a bit before coming to a decision.

"Whether it's a stranger, my sister, or me."

She left the bullpen with that, leaving behind a stunned silence, only to be broken by one Lee Brant's exclamation of "I knew it!"

 **oOo**

Kara easily entered the station, making a beeline for a familiar office. She knocked on the door and entered upon receiving a reply.

"Hi Maggie."

"Oh, hey Little Danvers," Maggie said, pushing a half-finished report off to the side, "This visit business or pleasure?"

"Business. I wanted to get a response from the police about what happened at the Pride Parade."

Maggie scowled.

"Aside from a bunch of narrow-minded pricks sticking their noses where they don't belong?"

"Yes, aside from that," Kara deadpanned.

"Okay, this information has already been cleared for reporters. Chief knows that my girlfriend's sister is a reporter, so I already have leave to make a statement if it comes up. So here's the 411: it's a mess. These anti-LGBT protesters were organized, and they wanted to make as big a scene as possible. The only thing that saved the parade from violence was the fact that the heads of this little statement wanted to scare only. They knew that throwing the first punch would delegitimize them. Even still, police had to physically hold many people back, from both sides. It came really close to turning into violence."

"Yikes."

"You have no idea," Maggie said, "I was on duty as security, and there was a lot of fire and brimstone being leveled our way. It strained even my professionalism. If my partner hadn't poked me a few times, I might have done something rash just to shut them up, that's how bad it was. I've dealt with a lot of slurs in my time, comes with being a Hispanic and a lesbian, but the kinds of stuff I heard that day…"

Maggie's fingers drummed on her desk, a rapid beat that was every bit as ominous as horror movie music.

"How did the police respond on the scene?" Kara asked.

"We did make a few arrests for harassment, but I don't expect them to stick. These guys were careful to keep it verbal. That said, I have little doubt that it could have gotten physical very quickly."

"Yikes. Where did these guys come from?"

"All around. A few we arrested came up as out-of-city. Like I said, however organized this did a good job. They wanted to make a statement by ripping into a major event in a major city. We had every flavor of homophobe out there."

"What's the plan for the second parade?"

"Increased police presence, including plainclothes. I already volunteered for the latter, and I know Alex is going to be right beside me. We'll lean on each other for support."

"I should probably talk to her," Kara said, "She's still new to being gay. A lot of this is probably hitting her hard."

 **oOo**

"You're seriously not bothered by all this?" Kara asked incredulously.

"Let them shout, I'm proud of who I am," Alex said, "I'd never felt freer in my life than when I finally accepted that I was gay. My family is supportive, and I have a wonderful woman in my life. No amount of shouting or slurs can take that from me. And if anyone were to get violent with me, I'd kick their ass so hard, they'd think I was Supergirl."

Kara stared at her sister, stunned.

"But," Alex continued, "I recognize the danger inherent here. Violent or not, they shout very loud, and it's making people afraid. They're trying to impose a narrow and discriminatory viewpoint on the world. Doesn't matter why, they just are. Their lack of tolerance champions a mindset that hurts people, often without a single punch thrown. And you can't fight a mindset."

The sisters were silent, the weight of the words sinking in.

Suddenly, Kara sat up straighter. Her eyes flickered, and she let off an aura of danger and confidence.

"Actually, you can," she said, her voice taking on a tone like what she used as Supergirl, "You fight it with hope, with symbols, and with people willing to stand up for what's right."

"Kara, you've got that look in your eye. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we give the LGBT community of National City a symbol to draw strength from…"

 **oOo**

 _Super-Pride_

 _By Kara Danvers_

 _So a funny thing happened while I was marching with my sister during yesterday's Pride Parade. A few blocks into the march, the same group of protestors from earlier in the month intercepted us, no doubt eager for a repeat performance. All around me, I could feel anger and despair. The LGBT community of National City was under assault, and many of the people in the parade were starting to wonder when it would end._

 _But just at the homophobic slurs started to fly, a familiar streak of red and blue dove out of the sky and impacted the street between the two groups._

 _Supergirl overlooked both sides, taking in the suddenly silent street. Finally, she strode over to the Pride Parade, exchanging a few words with one of the police officers providing security. The officer in question gave Supergirl a bag, indicating a previous arrangement. With a gleeful look on her face, the Girl of Steel withdrew a cloth with pink, purple, and blue stripes, wrapping it around her shoulders like a shawl. She also with withdrew a ballcap and put in on. I later learned that the cap had letters across the front, reading 'TOTES BI'._

 _That's right, people. Supergirl is bisexual._

 _She then walked over to the protesters, wrapped in the colors of her particular orientation, and loudly proclaimed the following:_

" _This is me coming out. This is me not caring about anyone who would nay-say me. This is me being honest with myself and with everyone about a part of me. If any of you FINE ladies and gentlemen have ANYTHING AT ALL to say about my preferences, you can say them to my face."_

 _Not one of them spoke. The ones in front looked like they were about to wet themselves as Supergirl stared at them._

 _Finally, National City's heroine turned on her heel and walked back to the Pride Parade._

 _She spent the rest of the parade joining in on the fun, alternating between the ground and the air, the latter no doubt to spot trouble, although she rarely strayed more than a few yards away._

 _I managed to catch up with her at one point, in order to ask her a few questions._

" _Yes, I gave them the scary eyes, no, I didn't show any fang, no, I'm not sorry," she said before I'd even asked anything._

 _Over the course of the conversation, I learned that her views on sexual orientation came from her childhood on Krypton. While homosexuality was rare on her planet, it wasn't unheard of, and people didn't generally get upset about it. She'd even had a distant cousin on her mother's side who was married to another woman._

 _However, when she arrived in Earth, she found many different viewpoints on the subject. It was confusing for the young teen, and it became far easier to ignore romance altogether, save in abstract concepts._

" _I enjoy a good romantic comedy as much as the next girl," she said, "But for the longest time, I kept personal dreams out of that train of thought. You humans and your labels, it made it all so confusing."_

 _So what changed?_

" _A close friend came out to me. And to reassure her, I told her about how Krypton viewed such things, and how I viewed them as a result. She's now in a stable relationship. I'm happy for her."_

 _When asked if she was in a similar state, she reminded me that she didn't talk about her personal life._

 _And as for why she's publicly coming out now?_

" _The community needed hope. They needed something to rally behind, and they needed to be reminded that they didn't have to be afraid of the small-minded people that tried to threaten them. Those so-called protestors came to make them feel bad for who they were. I couldn't sit by and let that happen."_

 _Given that all the protestors had made themselves scarce once they realized who was protecting the parade, it was hard to argue with the results._

 _When asked if she had anything to say to the LGBT community, or anyone else out there who was questioning their sexuality, Supergirl's words were kind._

" _Whoever you are, you are real. You are valid. You like who you like, and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Support is out there for you. Our arms are open. You don't have to be afraid, of others or of yourself. You are free to be. Keep these words in mind. They will be your guiding light."_

 **oOo**

Tara kissed her girlfriend good night and started to walk home, taking advantage of the calm night. A few blocks into her trek, she realized she was being followed. She tried to speed up, but whoever it was was clearly in better shape. A large hand grabbed her and pulled her into the alley.

"You know, I got me a theory," the man said, "People like you, lesbians I mean, they get off on other chicks because they've never had a real man. That true?"

She couldn't answer, because his meaty hand had covered his mouth. Two more people materialized out of the shadows, dark grins on their faces.

Tara lashed out with a kick, managing to hit the large man in the knee, but his buddies grabbed her and ripped open her shirt.

"Let's show you a real man."

"Cool, where is he?"

Heads jerked upward at the sound, and they saw a figure sitting on the fire escape. The figure leapt off, hitting the ground in a crouch.

"Because in my experience, real men know that no means no," Supergirl said.

Her eyes began to glow, and her fangs made themselves known.

"Maybe you ought to learn some manners."

It was a short fight.

The second the last goon had hit the ground, twitching from the taser-level lightning spell, Tara rushed over and hugged Supergirl, crying and babbling her thanks. Supergirl wrapped her cape around the traumatized woman, shushing her gently.

"It's okay. You're okay. Do you have a phone? We can call the police."

Tara pointed at her fallen purse, and Supergirl made her way over to it, the near-victim still clinging to her arm like a limpet.

" _911, what's your emergency?"_

"This is Supergirl, I'm near the corner of 14th and John's. Just beat up some would-be rapists, and I need officers on the scene. Preferably female ones, the victim is pretty shaken up."

There was a slight pause, and she could almost hear an angry growl from the dispatcher before the answer came.

" _I'll send someone right away."_

"Thank you."

She hung up and cast a look at the still-shaking woman.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Please…"

They sat in silence for a moment, Supergirl rubbing her back reassuringly.

The police soon arrived, and both women gave a statement as the three men were stuffed into a car.

"I believe this to be a form of hate crime," Supergirl said, "They seemed to be aware she was a lesbian, and that's why she was targeted."

"We've been seeing a small uptick in those sorts of crimes," the officer said, "I blame those hatemongers that screwed with the Pride Parades."

Supergirl ended up giving Tara a lift back to her girlfriend's, leaving the still-shaken woman in her care.

"Don't let what happened harden you," she said, "What you feel is real and valid. It's hate-filled people like them who are the unnatural ones. Love knows no boundaries."

Afterward, she spoke of the event with Lena, who agreed with what was said and provided her own comfort.

"There will always be hate. But that's what people like you are here for. To bring light to the dark."


	3. Belief

_See first chapter disclaimer._

 _With thanks to Train, since Kara sings part of one of their songs at the beginning._

* * *

 **Light in the Dark**

Chapter 3

Belief

Lena awoke to an empty bed.

This in and of itself wasn't unusual. Kara sometimes slipped away during the night because she heard something that required Supergirl's attention. Lena didn't like the disappearances, but she grinned and bore it. Her girlfriend was a busy woman.

And given the late nights that Lena often pulled, she wasn't in a position to throw stones.

However, when Lena looked at the bedside table, she gave a soft grunt of confusion. Kara always left a note for her, in case Lena woke up before she got back. But no slip of paper greeted Lena's gaze.

And then Lena heard a familiar sound from down the hall, and she relaxed. Grabbing a robe and slipping it on, she walked out of the bedroom, a smile on her face. Her smile widened when she saw Kara busying herself in the kitchen. Her girlfriend was sashaying about, wearing one of Lena's blouses and nothing else, and singing as she worked.

" _Your lipstick stains  
_ _On the front lobe of my  
_ _Left-side brains  
_ _I knew I wouldn't forget you,  
_ _And so I went and let you  
_ _Blow my mind_

" _Your sweet moonbeam,  
_ _The smell of you in every  
_ _Single dream I dream  
_ _I knew when we collided,  
_ _You're the one I have decided  
_ _Who's one of my kind"_

Lena put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles and just barely succeeding. Kara was so adorable sometimes.

" _Hey soul sis_ —LENA!"

Kara froze mid-dance move, her eyes wide and her entire demeanor like a deer caught in headlights.

"Why'd you stop?" Lena asked, a smile on her face, "I was enjoying the show."

Kara quickly recovered, and lifted her bare leg a little.

"Oh? See anything you like?"

And it was Lena's turn in the headlights.

Kara suppressed a giggle at the stunned look on Lena's face. Usually her girlfriend was the bigger tease, but once in a while, Kara turned the tables and made a comment that had Lena blushing like a tomato.

"So, I made pancakes," Kara said, "If you can get the butter and syrup, we can dig in."

Kara smiled at Lena.

"Or whipped cream, if you'd prefer. I'm not sure how much we have considering a few nights ago, but-"

"Oh shut up!" Lena shot back, getting her bearings back.

"Love you too, _i zhor_."

After a pleasant breakfast and a quick shower, Kara turned on the morning news.

And then swore in Kryptonian.

"Kara, what's wrong?" Lena called out.

"You know those predictions of a possible wildfire in southern California?"

"It just came true, didn't it?"

"I have to go."

"I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too!"

Kara rushed to the balcony doors, turning to mist and slipping through the cracks. The mist rose above the roof, and reformed into Supergirl, who raced off.

As she flew, she recalled something from her high school science courses. She'd been fascinated by the various distinct biomes of the Earth, so different from Krypton's. One biome came to mind now, that of the chaparral. Characterized by hot and dry summers, wet winters, and drought-resistant flora, it was a beautiful place.

But Kara had often felt that humans settling there was a mistake, given the fourth thing the areas were known for: wildfires.

The entire chaparral ecosystem was adapted to wildfires to an astonishing degree. Plants grew back quickly, seeds were given a special coating that cracked open in intense heat and allowed germination, and animals were adept in escaping fire. In short, chaparral was designed to catch fire every few years and renew itself from the ashes, like the mythical phoenix.

So while as an empathic person, she pitied anyone who lost their homes to the wildfires, she also couldn't shake the nasty little thought that said 'Don't keep building houses there, morons!'

The voice sounded a lot like Cat Grant.

She soon reached the area, spotting a few helicopters from the fire and rescue squads. The larger ones were dumping their payloads of water over the burning areas. She immediately joined in, blowing a wide stream of her cold breath.

She continued the work. As she paused to catch her breath, she saw one of the helicopters flying close, the pilot shooting her a salute. She tossed one back, then got back to work.

Soon she was caught in a cycle of blowing and breathing. At some point, her cousin showed up, joining in. They exchanged waves, but didn't speak, both focusing on trying to suppress the fire.

As some of the fire died, she saw a helicopter evacuating two people from the forest below. A tree was leaning towards them, creaking ominously. She got there just in time to stop it from falling. As the helicopter lifted up, she tossed the tree aside and ducked into it.

"Do you know how many more people there are?" she asked the rescue crew.

"No idea," one said, handing her a bottle of water, "We were hoping you could tell us. Here, you look flushed."

She took a swing before looking out across the enflamed landscape.

"Several houses in my field of vision, but I don't see any—wait, I see someone! Trapped under rubble! One mile that way!"

"We'll meet you there!"

Supergirl nodded and flew off, passing the water to one of the rescued people before dropping out of the helicopter.

She flew quickly, reaching the house. It was partially collapsed, and her hearing picked up moans of pain. She ripped off a window to better access the house, then carefully touched down. Breaking down the door to the next room, she found the victim, trapped under part of the collapsed ceiling.

"Stay calm, okay. I'm going to get you out."

But the man, once his shock receded, glared at her suspiciously.

"Vampire," he hissed.

Kara felt the word strike her like a dagger. The man's voice was filled with suspicion and hate. But she squared her shoulders.

"Look, I don't care what you think you know about me. But you can either accept my help or die in the fire. What's more important, sticking to those views and dying, or taking my hand and living?"

She reached her hand out. The man scowled, but after a moment, reached out and took her hand.

"Good choice. Hold still."

She easily lifted the beam he was trapped under, allowing him to crawl out. Once he was free, she grabbed him and rushed out of the house, taking him to the helicopter just as it was arriving.

Once they had touched down inside, he yanked himself out of her grip and pointedly refused to look at her.

Kara tried not to be discouraged by this.

"Thanks, Supergirl," one of the rescue workers said, "Wouldn't have found him without you."

"Just trying to help," Supergirl replied, "Give me a minute, let me see if I can find you more targets."

 **oOo**

The fire continued to be fought for most of the day. The spread was prevented when Superman and Supergirl cleared a portion of the forest ahead of the blaze. Superman then set portions of the new forest edge on fire himself, letting it burn into the larger blaze to snuff out both. The two then continued using their cold breath to help suppress the fire, as well as their vision to spot people in need of rescue.

By the evening, the fire was done save for a few small parts weakly blazing, but the firefighters all agreed that those weren't likely to last the next hour, let alone the night.

The Supers accompanied the rescue workers to an ad-hoc hospital set up to help the rescued people. As both relaxed for a minute, fear reared its ugly head.

"What are you doing here?"

Supergirl turned to see one of the medical personnel glaring at her.

"I was-"

"Just what?" he interrupted, "Hoping for an easy snack, bloodsucker?"

"No, I—"

"We don't want your kind here! Why don't you just-"

A red-blue blur positioned itself between them.

"That's enough!" Superman growled, "She's here to help people, same as I am, same as we all are! Why don't you go do that instead of shouting at a Good Samaritan?"

The nurse flinched under Superman's angry gaze and scuttled away.

But as Kara looked around, she could see glares being sent her way, from several sources. While the firefighters she'd talked to during the rescue operations seemed happy to have her, it was becoming obvious to her that not everyone was so eager.

It was a hard pill to swallow.

"Hey, you okay, cousin?"

Kara shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"Pull the other one, it's got bells on."

Kara exhaled through her nose.

"I guess I've just gotten used to National City. Most of the people there are…you know, protective of the city's heroine. They're proud of me despite my differences. I guess I can't expect that everywhere."

"After all you've done and are still doing, you _should_ have at least _some_ respect," Clark argued.

"Well, if wishes were fishes," Kara shrugged, "I'm trying not to let it bother me. They don't know me, so they shouldn't have a say in how I live my life."

"Well said."

The two turned at the voice, noting that a doctor had snuck up while they were conversing.

"You look peaked, Supergirl," he said, holding out an object, "Here. We're all fine here, so something for the road."

It was a blood bag.

Kara looked at it with wide eyes, but the doctor just shook the bag a bit.

"Go ahead. Anyone has a problem, they can bring it up with me. We've got plenty here, so one bag isn't going to go amiss."

She accepted it with quiet thanks, then lunged forward to hug him briefly.

Smiling, Supergirl lifted off. Several people called their good-byes, at least half of those gathered grateful for the help and not caring who it had come from. She waved back before taking off fully.

Superman joined her shortly after.

"See? There's still some respect," he said.

"And I'm glad for it," she replied, extending her fangs.

And she was. It was comforting to know that, despite her vampirism, there were people who still believed in Supergirl.

* * *

 _So this one ended up a lot shorter than I wanted. I got stuck for a bit at how to present it all after that explanation on chaparral (which has been my opinion on the subject since high school). Then there was news about ravaging wildfires in California, and I stopped trying to write for a bit because it felt in bad taste. Finally I knuckled down and realized that there wasn't a whole lot to the story anyway._

 _So, yeah…_


	4. The Street

_See first chapter disclaimer._

 _This began life as a tumblr post I saw a while back, which I came across on the page of comickergirl. Just search for that little blog, then search her pages for the subject at hand._

 _It was too cute an idea not to do!_

 _Although maybe you should wait until after reading this. Save any spoiler-type things._

 _And now…fluff. ALL THE FLUFF!_

* * *

 **Light in the Dark**

Chapter 4

The Street

"Why in God's name did you record this?" Alex asked as the opening theme played, "Why in God's name are we watching this?"

 _Sunny Day  
_ _Sweepin' the clouds away…_

"There is a very special guest for this episode," Kara said, "One the makers kept extremely quiet about until it premiered this morning."

 _On my way to where the air is sweet…_

"And your point is?" Lena asked.

 _Can you tell me how to get  
_ _How to get to Sesame Street_

"You'll see," Kara said with a mysterious grin.

"At the very least, we'll have a little fun reliving our childhoods," Maggie said.

"I know, right? This show taught me English, along with reruns of Mister Rogers."

"Of course _you_ watched Mister Rogers," Lena laughed, "Not that I have anything against him, that man was a saint."

"Yeah, I was heartbroken when I heard he died."

"It's true, there were lots of tears," Alex said.

The scene on the television opened inside Hooper's Store, with the usual proprietor, Alan, manning the counter. A blonde woman walked in. Initially, all that could be seen was her brown coat and hat, but as she bought a soda, she took off her hat and glasses, shaking out her hair.

" _Awful bright out, huh?_ " she said.

Alan nodded, saying that sunny days were a thing around here, then paused.

" _You look familiar. Have I seen you before?"_

The woman gave a dazzling smile.

" _I'm a little well known."_

"You didn't," Alex gasped.

Kara gave a smile identical to the woman on the television.

"I did!"

"How?" asked Maggie.

"They contacted Cat Co, hoping to get in touch. A quick flight to the studio to talk with the big wigs and writers, and I was all set. You should have seen the look on the actors faces when I walked on set the first day. I was almost certain that Alison was going to faint."

"Alison?" asked Lena.

"Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly. She plays Gina. She and Elmo just walked in."

Sure enough, the doctor and the famous red monster had entered the store, Elmo looking quite upset. Alan quickly helped Gina attend to him, and the story was told.

Elmo had been the victim of a bully. A very mean kid and his friend had pushed Elmo around and stolen his favorite ball.

As the two familiar adults helped calm Elmo down, the little monster asked the big question.

" _Why would they be so mean?"_

And the blond woman chimed in.

" _There's a bunch of reasons someone might be a bully. Maybe there's something going on in his life, and he's taking his anger out on you. Maybe he enjoys being bigger and stronger than others, likes how it feels to be powerful. Maybe it's something else, or a bunch of different things. Sometimes you never know until you start to dig."_

The blonde then talked to Elmo, giving him a few tips on how to deal with bullies.

" _Wow, you know a lot_ ," Elmo said.

" _I deal with this kind of stuff a lot."_

" _Are you a teacher?"_

" _No, I'm…kind of like a police officer."_

Lena and Maggie snorted in laughter.

"Oh hush, you know I'm right," Kara scowled.

Elmo, excited over this new knowledge, raced off to use it and get his ball back. The three adults traded a look.

" _I didn't mean right away."_

" _I'm going after him."_

" _I'll help."_

Gina and the woman raced off at that.

The scene changed to a playground, and Elmo got the attention of another, larger monster.

" _That's my ball. Give it back, please."_

The larger monster and his skinny compatriot sneered at Elmo, but Elmo stood his ground and talked. He used all the advice that he had been given to try and convince them to play nice. The skinny monster relented, and tried to give the ball back, but the larger monster refused.

" _I'm not listening to a puny thing like you! This is mine now, shrimp!"_

As Elmo and the other monster tried to talk the bully around, Gina and the blonde arrived. Gina took a step forward to intervene, but the blonde stopped her.

" _Allow me."_

The woman burst into a cloud of mist that collapsed to the ground and off-camera. The mist soon rose back up behind the bully, swiftly reforming into a human shape. Elmo and the skinny monster suddenly stopped talking, staring.

" _What, give up?"_

A throat cleared loudly behind the bully, and when he turned, he came face to face with an unamused Supergirl. She had her arms crossed, and a flat look on her face.

" _Afternoon,"_ she said, " _Is that your ball?"_

" _Y…yes?"_

" _Really? Tell the truth now."_

The monster made a sound like a stepped-on mouse before shaking his head.

" _No…"_

" _You should give it back, then. And say you're sorry."_

Cowed by Supergirl's glare, the bully handed the ball back, muttering his apologies, before scurrying off.

" _And that's the part I didn't get the chance to tell you back at Hooper's_ ," the now-smiling Supergirl said to Elmo, " _Some bullies aren't going to stop just because you give them a stern talking-to. In that case, it's always good to get help from an adult_."

" _You're Supergirl_ ," Elmo breathed.

" _I am?"_

She looked down, stretching her top a bit to look at the symbol on her chest.

" _What do you know, I am!"_

Elmo started giggling, and the skinny monster soon joined in. Elmo then asked if Supergirl wanted to play ball, to which she replied that she'd love to. And without missing a beat, Elmo invited the skinny monster to join in. The monster seemed shocked at first, but soon joined in the fun.

Gina, meanwhile, finally got over her shock, shaking her head.

" _Unbelievable_ ," she said, " _Supergirl on Sesame Street_."

As the scene switched to a skit about numbers, Alex turned to Kara.

"Okay, that was kind of cute."

"Wait'll you see me talk with Big Bird."

"So the studio approached you?" Lena asked.

"They'd been debating back and forth for a while about asking me to do a guest spot," Kara explained, "The vampire controversy gave them pause, but they decided to go with it anyway because I was still popular with children. We talked about whether or not we should address the vampire thing, but I convinced them I had a better idea of what to talk about. Although there was talk about having me back for a Halloween episode with Count Von Count where that did get brought up. I told them to wait to see how this one was received."

"Fair," Maggie said, "So what better idea did you have?"

"You'll see."

And they did. Later in the episode, Elmo took his new friend Supergirl to see Big Bird.

Everyone agreed that seeing Big Bird's jaw drop at the sight of Elmo's new friend was absolutely hilarious.

Supergirl noticed a letter that Big Bird was writing to a pen pal, and Big Bird explained that his friend had a new adopted sibling.

" _But from his last letter, they weren't really getting along,"_ Big Bird said, _"I'm trying to figure out what I can say to help him."_

" _Maybe I can help,"_ Supergirl said, " _I came to this planet when I was young. I know a bit about foster families."_

" _That would be great!"_

" _How old were you when you came here?"_ Elmo asked.

" _Older than you, but still pretty young_ ," Supergirl said, leaning against the fence, _"And it was hard at first. I was on a strange world after some pretty bad stuff. I didn't speak English, I didn't know any American culture, and I had to get used to new people who were supposed to be my family. My foster parents were patient, and they did their best to help me…it was my new sister that was the problem. We didn't get along at first."_

" _You have a sister?"_ Elmo gasped.

" _I don't talk about my personal life so I can actually have one, like being able to go grocery shopping without getting mobbed. And I can't name any names, because privacy, but yes, I do have a sister."_

Big Bird shifted awkwardly.

" _This sounds kind of personal. You don't have to-"_

" _Maybe, but this is important. Anyway, my sister and I did not get along when we were younger."_

" _Was she mean to you?"_ Elmo asked.

" _Kind of. Now that I'm older, I can understand how she felt. This strange person had burst into her life without any warning, a person that needed to be looked after near constantly or else she'd get in trouble. She did not like it. In fact, she was pretty angry about it."_

" _My friend wrote as much,"_ Big Bird said.

" _Sometimes she'd say something hurtful…and sometimes I said it. I was in a lot of pain, back then. I'd lost everything, after all."_

Supergirl's face was sad, no doubt lost in memories.

Alex reached over and grasped Kara's hand.

" _Did you two ever get past it?"_ Big Bird asked.

" _Oh, eventually,"_ Supergirl replied, brightening, _"It took a lot of time, but it was worth it. We're really close now, and talk almost every day. I can't imagine my life without her in it. Because that's the thing: family takes work. It means learning how to talk, how to forgive, how to understand. But there is so much love, whether you're born into the family or you find it, and that love is worth whatever pain may come. I'll always have Krypton in my heart, I'll always love the family I left. I still miss them every day. But I also love my Earth family, so much. In a lot of ways, they saved me. There wouldn't be a Supergirl without them."_

The three were silent for a minute.

" _We don't live in a perfect world,"_ Supergirl continued, _"Sometimes, people have to leave their homes for bad reasons. I did. And between dealing with the pain, learning how to be an Earthling and messing up sometimes, and dealing with anything else that came my way, I didn't have a lot to smile about. But all it took, all it takes, is someone willing to hold out a hand. Just one person asking if you're okay, trying to help, to make things a little better. It took awhile, but my sister became that person, and that opened the door to a bond I couldn't live without."_

Supergirl let out a breath.

" _My advice to your friend? Try. It'll be worth it."_

Big Bird didn't say anything at first, but after a moment, he walked closer to Supergirl and asked if she needed a hug.

Supergirl smiled and floated upward a bit so he wouldn't have to bend down like he usually did. After they broke it and Supergirl landed on the ground, Elmo rushed in and hugged her. She laughed and bent down a bit to kiss him on the head. He giggled at that.

"Ah, too cute! My heart can't take it!" Maggie cried, clutching her chest.

"You hear that thumping?" Lena asked, "That's the sound of hundreds of people collapsing from insulin shock."

"You guys suck," Kara groused.

"Oh, don't be like that. It was adorable. Speech like that, it'll help a lot of people."

Lena gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek.

"You did good."

Eventually, the episode ended, and the camera opened to Supergirl with Cookie Monster.

" _All of us on Sesame Street want to thank Supergirl for joining us!_ " Cookie Monster said excitedly.

" _It was lovely to be here_ ," Supergirl smiled, _"Believe it or not, this show helped me learn English when I was a kid, so I think I'm giving something back here_."

Cookie Monster and Supergirl hugged briefly before continuing.

" _Today's episode was brought to you by the letter_ S!"

He waved toward the symbol on her chest, and she made a show of rolling her eyes.

" _Oh, ha-ha."_

Supergirl waved her hand in the air, tracing a pattern in fire.

" _It's also brought to you by the numbers 3 and 5."_

She gestured to the fiery numbers as they faded away.

" _Don't try that at home, kids."_

" _That was still a good magic trick, though_ ," Cookie Monster said.

" _Then you'll love this one,"_ Supergirl replied, holding her cape up like a curtain, _"Alakazam!"_

She whipped the cape back, revealing…

" _COOKIES!"_

Supergirl set the plate down on the table in front of them.

" _You're not the only one here with a fondness for cookies,"_ she said.

" _I like you!"_

She giggled, and picked up one cookie with a smile.

" _Shall we?"_

Cookie Monster grabbed a pair of cookies, and both of them proceeded to eat with simultaneous intonations of "OM-NOM-NOM!" as the credits rolled.

"Of course," Lena playfully groused, very familiar with her girlfriend's sweet tooth.

"We decided a bit with Super Grover was a tad too on the nose," Kara smiled, "Maybe next time."

"Think you'll be invited back?"

"I hope so."

She did end up getting invited back, eventually. Response to the episode had been overwhelmingly positive. Twitter exploded with people congratulating Supergirl on a job well done.

But one of the best responses Supergirl got was from her cousin, who called her up to express his jealousy.

" _They never asked me to come on the show."_

Kara could hear Lois laughing in the background.

Another great response was from Lucy Lane. Kara didn't hear much from Lucy, the other woman very busy managing the east coast branch of the DEO. But Kara did get a text from her, and attached was a picture of Supergirl planting a kiss on Elmo's head.

' _You are too adorable to be legal_ ,' the text said.

' _You're just jealous because I got to hug Big Bird_ ,' Kara texted back.

' _Damn straight.'_

Later, Kara would find a framed picture of the kiss at the DEO, adored with a tiny plaque that said _Friend to All Children._

She laughed for a solid five minutes.

* * *

 _Just so we're clear, I don't own Sesame Street._

 _Hey, remember when Big Bird was the mascot, not Elmo?_

 _Christ, I feel OLD…_


	5. Krypto the Demon Dog

_Hey guys, been a while. I'm a tad depressed by the fourth season and the opening of the fifth. Oh, not because of the overall stories (although I have some thoughts on Ben Lockwood, see my oneshot of how Bunker Hill should have ended for more on that), but because of Lena. Poor girl is all twisted up over the Supergirl secret reveal, and it's leading her to some dark places. Hopefully, she'll come to her senses before she does something that makes her brother proud. At the very least, this Lena is happy with her Kara._

 _But for now, a story of a girl and her dog..._

 _Somehow, it's not supposed to be this creepy…_

* * *

 **Light in the Dark**

Chapter 5

Krypto the Demon Dog

Kara practically vibrated in place on her couch.

"Excited, are we, _mo mhac léinn_?" Shanoa asked as she pulled a chair aside to make a larger space in the living room.

"I've been wanting to learn summoning since you showed me Láthir," Kara replied, "I hope it's a puppy!"

"Lucky you, we are going to be aiming for a dog."

Kara squealed a bit.

"First things first, there are two types of summons: temporary and familiar. Temps are just that: summoned creatures for one-time use tasks that disappear after they've done it. Useful, but limited. Now, a familiar summon, that's more involved, but _much_ more useful. You essentially bind a supernatural animal to your service, enabling you to summon it at will. Because it's a mystical creature, it is smarter than an average animal, far stronger and tougher, and may possess unique abilities. For example, Láthir is difficult to wound, and his bite can pierce steel. He's also able to handle silver, very useful for a vampire like myself, and a rare trait amongst hellhounds like him."

"So, how do I get a familiar?"

"We need to draw up a contract."

Shanoa opened the small suitcase she'd brought with her. Inside was a paper scroll, what looked like an antique calligraphy set, a strange powder, a finger-sized crystal, and a silver knife.

"This technique is the same I used to bind Láthir. It's a mix of European and Eastern techniques. We're going to write it up on this prepared scroll, treat the writings with the powder, then use the knife to collect some blood so you can properly sign it."

"Because of course I sign it in blood," Kara hummed.

"Where do you think that trope came from?" Shanoa replied, rolling out the scroll.

Kara painstakingly wrote the appropriate spells under Shanoa's direction, then dusted the freshly-inked words with the powder.

"What's the powder made of, anyway?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Kara winced, imagining a few scenarios, but she didn't press. She did duck into the kitchen to wash her hands, however.

"Now what?" Kara asked, coming back.

"Now, while you sign it, I'm going to draw up a mystic circle. We'll place the scroll at the edge of the circle and invite a hellhound. If this works, you should get something that is attracted to your spirit. Then you can feed it to stabilize the bond. If the hound accepts the food and the binding, we'll tie the spell to the crystal."

"And then I can wear it on my necklace and summon him whenever I like?" Kara asked, inspecting the crystal and noting the metal attachments that would enable it to be worn on a small chain.

"That's the idea," Shanoa replied, fishing down her shirt-front and extracting something.

Attached to a locket was a small, blood-red crystal. As Kara looked at it, it simmered in the light.

"I had an appropriate crystal on the locket Adrian gave me for our fifth anniversary, but I felt it best to prepare one for you. We could have used the crystal on your mother's necklace, but I had no idea how the spell would react to the alien material."

"Fair," Kara said, fingering the area where her necklace lay beneath her shirt, "Wait, where's the food?"

"I put a raw steak in the fridge," Shanoa replied, "I got here early, remember?"

"Saw a car accident on the way home, stopped to see if there was anything I could do to help," Kara replied defensively.

Shanoa slipped into the kitchen, coming back with the steak and a small sauce bowl.

"This will do," she said, handing the bowl to Kara, "Slice your hand and get some ink."

While Shanoa made a glyph sufficient for their purposes, Kara took care of getting some blood. She hissed as the silver burned her hand, but it was more bearable than Kryptonite would have been. She kept squeezing blood from her hand until she felt she had enough.

"Any preferences on language?" Kara asked.

"So long as it's a name that resonates with you, it doesn't matter how you write it," Shanoa replied.

Kara decided on the spot to write in Kryptonian. Her hand shook slightly as she used the brush to write out letters she hadn't actively used in ages, but she soon finished. Standing out in red on the paper was 'Kara Zor-El Danvers' in her native language.

Kara carried the scroll with care to the edge of the glowing circle Shanoa had set up. The elder vampire then began to chant softly, and the circle glowed a bit brighter.

There was a tearing sound and a plume of smoke. When the smoke cleared, an animal sat in the center of the circle, tilting its head in confusion.

"Well…that's interesting," Shanoa said, "They're usually black."

Sitting there was what looked like a white Labrador. Upon laying eyes on Kara, it began to pant.

"Should I pet it?" Kara asked.

The dog barked once, standing up. Its tail wagged hard, and it looked at Kara with happy eyes.

"Go ahead," Shanoa said, "Go easy, let the hound made the first move. Don't be surprised if it refuses to allow itself to be touched, however."

Kara slowly edged toward the dog, reaching her hand out and letting it have a good sniff. It licked her hand a little, and Kara giggled as she shifted to petting it.

"Hello there, cutie."

"Curiouser and curiouser," Shanoa said, tapping her chin in thought, "It took me hours before Láthir warmed up to me. This one seems quite friendly."

"Oh, yes, you're a good…boy?"

Kara ducked down to check.

"Yes, a very good boy! You want some steak?"

The dog jumped and barked, practically hopping in place, his tail wagging so hard it looked ready to fly off.

"Okay, hang on," Kara said, unwrapping the meat, "Sit! Be good!"

The dog sat, but still panted excitedly. Kara smiled and held out the steak.

"Okay, here you-"

It was then that the demonic attributes showed up.

His mouth opened, cheeks and upper neck splitting into an alligator-like mouth with far too many teeth. His tail became whip-like, and the hackles spiked up. The hellhound devoured the steak messily, and licked all the blood off himself and the floor with a long tongue.

Then the extra length to his muzzle closed, and the hound sat there panting happily, now back to looking like a cute little doggy.

Kara stared for a minute before croaking, "Okay, so, I have apparently befriended The Thing from Another World."

"Yeah, some of them do that," Shanoa said nonchalantly, "Láthir is terrifying when he eats. You'll get used to the sight, I'm sure."

 **oOo**

Despite the initial scare, Kara still bound the dog to the crystal, and named it Krypto after a dog that had belonged to her uncle Jor-El.

As Shanoa had noted, Krypto was extremely friendly with Kara. Given that the spell let an animal be attracted to Kara's spirit, it was understandable that she'd get a friendly creature, but the level of friendliness was still unusual for a hellhound.

Shanoa felt a bit justified when Krypto first met Alex. The hellhound had made a deep, bone-rattling growl when Alex got close. Kara had nudged the dog with her foot.

"No. Behave," she said firmly.

Krypto had grunted, but allowed Alex to scratch his ears.

"I'm surprised at how normal he looks."

"You should have seen him eat."

After Alex finished petting him, Krypto had laid down and ignored Alex for the rest of the visit.

This ended up being a pattern. Krypto would be indifferent or gruff with anyone not Kara, which made training an interesting challenge. Krypto would listen to Kara, but anyone else telling him to do more than sit would have to repeat the order a few times before he capitulated.

"Your dog is an angsty teen," Maggie had said.

But it would be Lena that had the most trouble…

 **oOo**

"Kara, your dog is shedding on the couch again!"

Krypto rolled one eye open at Lena's shout before grunting indifferently and rolling over. Lena scowled at the clear display of attitude.

"Krypto, off the couch," Kara said tiredly.

Krypto immediately obeyed, trotting over to Kara and panting happily.

"Don't give me that, you're not supposed to do that without permission."

Krypto shut his mouth with a clack.

Lena sighed before walking off to find a vacuum.

"I feel like that dog is actively trying to tick me off," she said, digging the vacuum and a lint roller out of the closet.

"He's a good boy, really-"

"Good with you," Lena countered, "With everyone else, he pretends not to listen."

"Just because he keeps shedding on the couch-"

"It's not just that!"

Lena finally found the lint roller and went back to attack the couch.

"Look, I know you want to acclimate him to humans, that's why you keep him out of the crystal a lot. I get that, I agree with it. But that dog needs some serious obedience training. Half the apartment smells like brimstone, he slobbers everywhere and leaves a residue that glows in the dark, and I keep catching him giving me the evil eye."

"Okay, that last one sounds like an exaggeration."

"Do you know what happened the other day? I found him ruining a pair of my heels with his shark teeth. When he noticed I was there, he deliberately made a big bite, and stared at me the whole time."

Kara winced.

"Okay, that does sound pretty bad…"

" _Pretty bad?_ Kara, I keep half expecting him to try and kill me in my sleep, why do you think I keep insisting you return him when we go to bed?"

"Okay, that sounds like an exaggeration!"

"It really isn't!"

Lena grunted as she turned on the vacuum.

"Look, I don't want to have this conversation right now. Just put your demon dog in time out, okay?"

Kara did so, taken off guard by Lena's rant and feeling defensive. But she realized that Lena wasn't in the mood to listen to anything, so left it.

 **oOo**

Later that day, as they were sitting down for dinner, Kara broached the subject again.

"Do you really hate Krypto?"

Lena paused around a mouthful of beef, swallowing and sighing. She knew why Kara was bringing it up now. When they'd gotten back together after Cadmus, they'd made a promise that, if there was a problem, they'd talk it out before the day was out. That way, neither of them went to bed angry, and things didn't fester.

"Honestly, I always wanted a dog, you know that. But sometimes, he just…scares me. I'm worried that he's going to hurt someone before you can stop him."

"He wouldn't-"

"Can you honestly say that? Despite how sweet he is with you, he gets very growly with everyone else. And he's a hellhound, Kara. By definition, he's a dangerous creature. You're fine because of the bond, but what happens if he loses his temper with anyone else?"

Kara leaned back, her own meal forgotten. Now that Lena had said it, the possibilities were starting to rattle around in her head. She groaned and gave Lena a look.

"You're a real pessimist sometimes, you know that right?"

"But do I have a point?"

"Okay, fine, yes. I'll work harder with him about it. But you have to meet me halfway here. He's no doubt picking up on your fear and it's coloring his judgement of you. All I'm asking is for you to give him a chance."

Lena balked a bit, her worry still there, but Kara gave her a pleading look. It was hard for her to say no to that face.

"Fine," Lena groaned, "But I'd still like you to play buffer between us."

"Fair enough."

 **oOo**

Over the next few days, Kara worked with Krypto in more obedience. The results were slow to improve, with Lena having to repeat an order twice before he listened, and he still usually looked toward Kara before moving.

One night, however, there was a breakthrough.

Kara and Lena had settled in to watch a movie, snuggled up together under one blanket. These were the nights Lena loved most. The easy affection and warmth that suffused everything. Kara made her feel more loved that she ever had in her life, and Lena privately thanked the universe for sending this angel into her life.

The only downside was Krypto. He sulked in a corner, likely still remembering earlier that day. Kara had tried to take him to a dog park for some fun. And while playing fetch had gone well, every other dog in the park had growled at Krypto and shunned him, if they didn't simply run away instead. No doubt the more mundane dogs had sensed something _wrong_ about this newcomer and reacted accordingly. Not wanting him to feel worse, Kara had left him out of the crystal to hang out, but the hellhound had plodded over to a dog bed and remained there, his mood permeating the room.

"Is it just me, or is the brimstone smell stronger now that he's upset?" Lena asked.

"Maybe a little." Kara admitted, "I'm not the best judge, though. I've gotten used to the minor smell he gives off."

Kara's phone buzzed suddenly, and she looked at it.

"Shoot. DEO emergency."

Lena sighed a bit.

"And I was so comfortable."

"I'm sorry-"

"It's fine. Price of dating a superhero. Besides, my workaholism is just as bad. How many rain checks have happened because something came up at L-Corp?"

Kara conceded that point. She swiftly rose and misted into her Supergirl outfit before giving Lena a deep kiss.

"I'll be back later _, i zhor_."

"Good luck."

Kara vanished in a flash. It was then Lena noticed that, in the rush, Krypto hadn't been returned to the crystal.

The hellhound glared at Lena, eyes flashing red. It was a reaction Lena hadn't seen before, and she wracked her brain to figure out why.

And then it hit her. Because of the nature of his training and summonings, Krypto wasn't around all the time. And while they'd shown affection, this was the first time Lena and Kara had kissed in front of him.

Krypto saw Lena as a rival for Kara's affections, someone close to 'mommy' in a way he wasn't. That was why he was passive-aggressive with her, it was all territorial.

Krypto got off his bed, a small growl in his throat as he stalked toward Lena. A spike of worry settled in her, and she poured every ounce of her large amount of brainpower into figuring out how to win the dog over quickly.

And for some reason, she began thinking of one of Lex's favorite movies…

"Hello, handsome!"

Krypto blinked at her, grunting in confusion.

"Yes, you! You're a good-looking dog, do you know that? Look at that shining coat, those muscular legs, those sharp teeth! Oh, especially those teeth. You want to talk ferocity? You want to talk about the guard dog ideal? You are godlike in your power!"

Krypto fluffed up at that, standing tall and proud.

"Then why are you treated with scorn? Why are you mocked by the other dogs? Because they're _jealous!_ "

Lena shifted off the couch, reaching her hand out.

"But you don't have to snap at everything or act so mean. You are not an evil dog. You are loved here. You…are…GOOD!"

Lena began to pet Krypto, and he leaned into her touch, wagging his tail and making pleased sounding grunts.

"This is a good dog! This is his momma's little puppy. And we are going to prove to everyone that we love him."

Krypto leaned further, stumbling closer to Lena and sitting. Lena scratched him behind the ears, and his leg thumped the ground.

"Belly rub?"

Krypto gave her a look.

"Okay, not pushing it. Maybe later."

Lena continued to pet and scratch Krypto, cooing at him. Once he seemed fully relaxed, Lena got serious.

"I do care about Kara. She is my everything. I know you're feeling territorial, but you don't have to be. I would never hurt her."

Krypto looked up at her, studying her for a long time. Then he sniffed and snuggled into Lena's side. It seemed to be his way of giving her a shot.

When Kara finally got back, she smiled at what she saw.

"Well, look at this. My girl and my puppy, all snuggly."

"We worked something out," Lena replied.

Thereafter, Krypto became much friendlier toward Lena. It was slow, and there was the occasional rough patch, but over time, the hellhound became just as loyal to 'Mistress' Mate' as he was to 'Mistress'.

 **oOo**

Supergirl was flying above National City on the lookout for trouble. Spotting a collection of police vehicles near an old tenement, she made her way down. Upon getting close to ground level, she spotted a familiar head of hair.

"Detective Sawyer!"

Maggie looked up, seeing Supergirl floating down.

"Where's the fire?"

"Homeless guy stumbled across this last night. We think it's the den of the serial killer we've been tracking the last few weeks."

"The one who steals body parts from his victims?"

"The same. It looks like a butcher shop in there. We've got Albert going over it."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Maybe. I'll go ask Albert first, he hates when people look over his shoulder without permission, but maybe you'll find something we've missed."

After a few minutes, Maggie led Supergirl into the old building.

"By all accounts no one lived here. It was due to be condemned," Maggie explained, "Unfortunately, there are no records to who owns the building. Water damage from a pipe burst in the Hall of Records."

"That's unfortunate."

"Might want to hold your nose."

"Too late, I started smelling the blood the second we entered the building."

Maggie opened the door, revealing a large room with plenty of gore. Limbs hung from hooks. In the center of the room was a metal table, covered in blood and viscera. CSIs were documenting everything, and the leader of the team was examining a set of knives.

"Quality knives, well taken care of," said CSI Julian Albert, "No fingerprints that I can find."

Kara wasn't surprised that the doppelganger of one of Barry's team was also a CSI on her Earth. She grumbled a bit, scratching at her nose.

"Smell bothering you?" Julian asked.

"Not in the way you think," she replied, "Are my fangs out? If they are, it's an unconscious reaction to the sheer amount of blood."

"That explains that."

"You said you had an idea, Albert?" Maggie asked.

"I was hoping she could scan the knives with her fancy vision. With the amount of gore around, we can't find anything that could give us an uncontaminated DNA sample. Trying to sort all the strands out would take months-"

"At which point, our killer would have known we found his lair and gone to ground," Supergirl finished, "I'll give it a shot."

She concentrated on the knives, focusing on one layer of magnification after another. She finally let off with a sigh.

"Nothing. He was probably wearing gloves when he handled these. No skin cells or the like that I can detect…"

She trailed off, a thought occurring to her.

"You said these were well-cared-for knives, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then he handled them often. We might be able to get something off them after all."

"What do you mean?" Maggie asked.

"My dog."

"The hellhound you learned how to summon?"

"Hellhound?" Julian croaked.

"I've been exploring magic," Supergirl said to him, "And yes, I've been teaching him to recognize smells. We might be able to use the knives to track our killer down. It's worth a shot, right?"

She summoned Krypto, who took one look at the gore surrounding him and began growling.

"Smart dog," Maggie said, "Look at him, he's figured it out already."

"Let's see if he's smart enough to help," Julian said, putting the knives on the floor and backing up.

Supergirl led Krypto over to the knives.

"Okay, boy. Our killer used these knives. Can you smell him?"

Krypto worked over the knives with his nose. They could almost see the gears turning in his head as he worked it out, ignoring the smell of blood to narrow down on the owner of the knives. Then, he started sniffing around the table, no doubt matching the scents. Finally, he barked at his owner.

"I think he might have it. Okay boy, FETCH!"

Krypto ran out the door and into the street, Maggie and Supergirl right behind him. Then there was a cracking sound, and a pair of bat-like wings burst from his back. With a leap, he shot into the sky.

Maggie and Kara blinked awkwardly.

"Did you know he could do that?"

"No."

Then they shook themselves back to reality. Supergirl shot after her dog and Maggie grabbed a pair of officers and piled into a car to follow.

After several blocks, Krypto dove down and landed on the street, barking at a shabby-looking man. His full demonic attributes had risen, making him terrifying to behold.

"Krypto, down! You, stay right there! I have a few questions for you!"

The man jumped at Supergirl's shout. The second he clapped eyes on her, he panicked.

"You're not taking me alive, pig!" he shouted, pulling a gun.

That was all the excuse Krypto needed to pounce. He pinned the man to the ground, savaging his arm and chest with his many teeth. Kara had to physically pull him off, shouting for him to heel the whole time. He finally calmed down, but the damage had been done.

Maggie and the other cops arrived and immediately called an ambulance. Supergirl did what she could, using her ice spells to seal his wounds and slow his heartrate.

After the ambulance left, Supergirl read her dog the riot act.

"Bad dog! Very bad dog! We don't do that to people!"

Krypto hung his head, whining.

"I think if you're going to use him in this, you should look into how police dogs are trained. He could have easily killed that guy," Maggie said.

"I know. He's a work in progress."

There was a moment of depressing silence.

"The wings, though. That's cool, right?"

"Oh, heck yeah."

Later, the man would confess to the murders, but it would be a month before he was fit enough to stand trial. Supergirl caught some heat for the injuries given during the arrest, but she made a big show of having Krypto participate in K9 training sessions, which seemed to put people at ease.

From then on, it wasn't uncommon for Supergirl to be followed by a bat-winged dog. Krypto could be vicious if provoked, but time and training would mellow him significantly.


	6. Poor Unfortunate Crooks

_I came up with a bunch of short bits over the course of a few months. Noticing that they all had a common theme, I decided to throw them together._

 _Enjoy_

* * *

 **Light in the Dark**

Chapter 6

Poor Unfortunate Crooks

It was hard to be a criminal in National City.

The police department was very professional and often benefited from new technology, a product of the city's partnership with L-Corp to test new civil defense gear. The city's resident superhero was a force to be reckoned with, especially since she'd embraced her vampire side and started using tricks her cousin couldn't do. And inspired by Supergirl's example, the more physically-capable aliens weren't shy about playing Good Samaritan, as were several vampires where the city's nightlife was concerned.

If there was one comfort, it was that it wasn't Gotham. If Supergirl did catch up with you, she'd try to be gentle and not break anything…

Unless you threatened children, especially if it was intentionally. Then your ass was grass.

Bottom line, some days, criminals felt like they just shouldn't have gotten out of bed…

 **oOo**

The two crooks dove into the car.

"Go, go, go!"

"I'm going!"

The one in the driver's seat put the car into gear.

"Hurry up, before Supergirl shows up!"

"Hi guys!"

The crooks screamed and the driver slammed the gas, because suddenly, Supergirl was in the back seat, last bits of mist sloughing off her.

Unfortunately, there was a light post right ahead of them, so the car didn't go far.

Airbags deployed, trapping the driver, but the other crook managed to wiggle his way free.

"You really should be more cautious," Supergirl said as she misted out of the car, "Lot of crazy drivers on the streets…"

"You bi-"

"Watch your mouth."

The crook reared back a fist.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

He did anyway.

When the cops showed up, they found Supergirl helping the woozy driver out of the car, while his partner lay on the ground, cradling his broken hand.

"Supergirl."

"Officers. Hey, if that guy with the broken hand tries to pull that Supergirl Defense junk, _he_ hit _me_."

The officers froze for a second.

"I'm sorry, he hit _you_?"

"I warned him not to," Supergirl said, shaking her head.

"Ha! Now I almost want to see him try it," one officer said, "'So how exactly did Supergirl break your hand?' 'With her face, Your Honor.' 'Get the hell out.'"

Supergirl snickered, she couldn't help it.

 **oOo**

Most aliens who came to Earth were refugees, people looking to make a new life. But, given the overall backwater nature of the planet on the galactic scale, it also had its fair share of people looking to disappear, for one reason or another.

The alien most called Rhino was one such person. A former leg-breaker for a galactic mafia, he'd been on the run since the crime family he'd belonged to had collapsed. Finding himself on Earth, he'd turned to what he knew best: crime.

At the moment, he was regretting that choice.

It was supposed to be a simple in-and-out bank job, wherein the built-like-a-brick-house alien served as muscle for an up-and-coming gang. They'd cut a deal with an arsonist to distract Supergirl elsewhere. They'd apparently underestimated how quickly she would finish with helping out.

Now half the group was caught and the rest were scattered.

Rhino ran into a crowded park, where it appeared that a fair was going on. While he was about six feet tall with a gray pallor to his skin, he hoped he'd be able to disappear into the large crowd.

As he pushed his way through, he prayed to his people's god of luck that he'd make it out.

The god was apparently not listening.

A smaller form plowed into him with great force, sending both skidding a few feet. Rhino tried to reach for his gun, only for it to be yanked out of his hand. A fist arced toward his face, and he knew no more…

Heather Smith was running a concession stand at the fair when a blur of red, blue, and gray slammed in front of her. The blur vanished below her line of sight, and as she heard a thunderous punch, she leaned forward over the counter to see what was going on.

A blonde woman popped up in front of her, a smile on her face.

"Hi, sorry to scare you," Supergirl said, "How much for a big pretzel?"

Heather blinked and rattled off the price. Supergirl bent down and tugged at her boot, pulling out a billfold.

"You keep a billfold in your boot?" Heather asked as Supergirl counted our money.

"Sure, where else am I going to keep it? My bra? That'd be tacky."

Supergirl handed over the money, took her pretzel with a smile and some thanks, then hefted the criminal she'd knocked out onto her shoulder and floated upward, munching on her snack.

"Have a nice day!" she called down as she left.

 **oOo**

"Empty the jewels in the bag, right now!" the man shouted, waving his gun in the clerk's face.

"Hey, stop that!" shouted the only other man in the store, an unassuming man with a large hoodie over a skinny frame.

The criminal whipped around, aiming his gun.

"Can it! I will shoot you, you scrawny-"

Then the unassuming man warped, gaining three feet of height and several pounds of muscle. He reached over, plucking the gun from the now terrified crook and breaking it in half.

"You'll what, tiny?"

Then he decked the gunman. He shrank back down, adjusting his hoodie.

"Lucky I sprang for the larger size."

"How'd you do that?" the clerk asked.

"I'm from the planet Durla. We're shapeshifters. Shall we call the cops?"

The clerk stumbled to the phone, tossing his thanks over his shoulder.

"If there's any way I can repay you-"

"I actually came here looking for a ring. I was hoping to propose to my girlfriend, but knocking out this chump before he could hurt anyone took priority."

"I'll speak to the owner about getting you a discount!"

 **oOo**

The device made a beeping noise as it was swept over several surfaces. On the screen, images of fingerprints were shown.

"How's it going, Albert?"

"Beautifully, Sawyer. This thing is picking up prints better than the dust. We'll be able to cross-check in half the time. Remind me to send a thank-you card to L-Corp."

"I hear the whole department's doing the same for the body armor. It's a sweet deal. The city only pays a manufacturing fee and allows the eggheads to collect data on how the stuff performs, and we get some neat toys to give us a leg up on a city rapidly becoming a mecca for the extraordinary."

"Makes you forget that you're technically a guinea pig for this, eh?"

"My armor protects me from bullets and lasers, and my girlfriend thinks it looks hot. I can deal with being a beta tester."

 **oOo**

The bank robber snatched up the nearest person, holding a pistol to her head.

"You don't want to do that," Supergirl said, her voice low.

"This was supposed to be simple. In and out, in and out!"

"Put the child down before someone gets hurt."

The crazed robber pressed the gun to the little girl's temple. The five-year-old cried in terror.

"You stay away from me! I'm walking out of here and you can't stop me! I'll do it, I swear, I'll kill her if you don't let me go!"

Supergirl inhaled sharply through her nose.

"Little One, close your eyes, can you do that for me?"

The girl gave a stiff nod, still in a headlock, and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Great…"

Then Supergirl's eyes glowed a hellish red, casting dark shadows over hear face.

"You drop that gun right now, or I swear to Rao, _I will shove it so far up your ass, you'll be able to fire it by squeezing your nose!_ " she shouted, her fangs on full display.

The face of pure vampiric rage made the gunman falter, and his grip on his weapon lessened. Supergirl noted the slight relaxing of the hand, and acted.

" _Tenet noctis cadent!"_

Pure shadow erupted from her form, casting the room into a pitch darkness only seen on the night of a new moon. The gunman winced at the sudden loss of sight.

In an instant, the child was ripped from his arms. He saw a pair of furious eyes, glowing like lanterns in the dark, and he screamed.

The scream was cut off suddenly by a flurry of blows. His ribs were cracked, his arm was broken, and he would end up with nightmares for weeks afterward.

A muttered word cast the darkness away, and Supergirl knelt on the floor, her back to the beaten gunman, her arms wrapped around the crying child.

"It's alright, Little One. He can't hurt you anymore. It's over now, you're okay. You were very brave."

She held her hand up and drew the child's attention to it.

"Want to see a trick?"

With a whisper, little motes lights appeared above her palm, dancing in the air. The little girl slowly calmed, transfixed by the lights.

"There. Pretty, aren't they?"

"Uh-huh."

The child reached for them, but stopped.

"It's okay, they won't hurt you."

The girl smiled and stuck her hand into the spell work. The motes danced across her fingers, and she giggled.

"They tickle!"

"They're called fairy lights."

"I like fairies…"

 **oOo**

"I think we actually got away!"

"Dude, don't jinx it!"

The two crooks darted into their hideout with their ill-gotten gains. They stayed tense, hands near their guns. After about half and hour with nothing happening, they began to relax.

"I think we're clear."

Suddenly, there was a small woof. The two spun around to see a white-furred Labrador.

"Where'd the mutt come from?"

The dog began to growl and bark loudly. One thug brandished his gun, intending to shut the dog up.

What happened next would be a fixture in their nightmares.

The dog's jaw opened unnaturally wide, revealing a maw of far too many teeth. Bat-like wings extended from its back, and with a single flap, the hound was upon the crook, its teeth sinking deeply into his arm. The crook screamed as the bite forced him to relinquish his gun, and he frantically beat at the beast with his free hand. But the grip was like iron.

The other crook drew his own gun, only for a hand to snatch it from him.

"Don't shoot my dog, please," Supergirl said, before knocking him out with a single blow.

Supergirl whistled, and Krypto released his crook, who soon passed out from the shock.

"Good boy, good seek!"

Kara conjured a few tiny fireballs and tossed them to Krypto. The hellhound snapped them up in his terrifying jaws before returning to his more innocent look, panting happily. Kara pet her dog lovingly.

"Those tracking lessons are really paying off, aren't they? Yes they are, yes they are!"

Krypto barked happily, his tail a blur.

Despite all her claims to the contrary and her otherwise sunny disposition, Kara could be quite vicious when the need arose. It was almost fitting that she have a dog that mirrored that dichotomy of sweet and dangerous.

 **oOo**

He looked over the lab. Everything looked to be going well. He picked up one of the finished packets of cocaine and smiled. Business was good.

Suddenly, the lights flickered, soon reaching insane speeds of flashing. The radio that had been playing in the background squawked like a dying parrot before beginning to play a new song.

Several bulbs burst, electricity arcing down from them and coming together.

Livewire appeared to the tune of ACDC's 'Thunderstruck' and began to hand them their collective behinds.

Electricity arced to and fro, shocking with just enough intensity to knock people out. She stopped short of killing them. She didn't want Supergirl coming down on her head. A few guns were aimed at her, but a few quicks bolts and an electrical flash-step to the side prevented any harm.

It was a short fight, to be honest. Livewire was soon the last person standing.

She took a look around at her victims before finding the one most likely to be in charge. Given that his clothing was nicer than the others, it was a safe guess. She slapped him awake.

"Where do you keep your money?"

"Screw you, bi—AGH!"

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Livewire said, "Now again, and don't make me have to shock you again. Where's the money?"

He finally directed her to the lockbox, which she opened and looked over. Satisfied, she tucked it under one arm before walking over to the phone.

"Landline? You all are savages."

She picked it up and zapped it lightly, her electrical powers dialing the number.

"Yeah, I'm currently standing in what used to be a drug den. Get down here quick before all the guys come to."

She rattled off the address before hanging up.

"If you were going to call the cops, why steal the cash?" the leader groaned.

"Girl's gotta eat," Livewire replied, before shocking him back into unconsciousness and leaving.

* * *

 _Thought about doing a bit where a vampire stops a mugging or attempted rape, but I realized I'd done that a few chapters ago._

 _No, we won't be seeing Livewire again anytime soon, I just thought it'd be nice to see what she's doing. Seems to have taken Kara's advice about not letting herself be a monster to heart._


End file.
